Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
A Collaboration with Our Friends at Midwestern Lesbian
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 13+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
A portion of the proceeds for this event will support Midwestern Lesbian.
Safe to Be Seen: A Healing Workshop for Stepping into Visibility & Power
A Journey into Empowerment & Expression for Life, Business, Career and Self
Your ability to stand in self and certainty is closer than you might imagine, and more powerful than you know. Safe to Be Seen is a transformative 3-hour workshop designed for women and nonbinary folks healing from trauma who are ready to reclaim their presence and power.
Through a blend of acting exercises, group vocal expression and self-expression, facilitator Lori Kirstein will support you to:
🌟 Unlock your voice as a tool for healing and empowerment
🌟 Transform fear of being seen into confidence and joy
🌟 Connect with other folks in an uplifting circle of shared strength
🌟 Step into visibility with courage, creativity, and authenticity
This is more than a workshop—it’s a safe and sacred space where your voice rises not just for you, but with others. Together, we will step into our power and be seen.
This workshop offers a sliding scale registration fee. Choose $50 (Reduced), $97 (Standard), or $120 (Supporter). All participants who choose the Supporter-level fee also receive a 30-minute private Zoom consultation with Lori.
About the Facilitator
Lori Kirstein is the founder of The Goodbye Good Girl Project and a fierce advocate for women who want to confront and overcome the internal or external rules that keep them quiet and small. Authentic Selfhood is Lori's personal North star. Professionally, Lori applied authenticity to her work supporting women in healing unapologetically into their natural strengths and desired visibility by using voice, self-expression and acting to play one's way into Emergence.
For over 15 years, Lori tried to follow every formula, every program, every “proven” path to business success — and kept ending up frustrated, exhausted, and invisible. It wasn’t until she applied the power of voice, emotional energetics, and taking small, soul-led steps that everything changed.
Today, Lori helps women leaders and entrepreneurs stand unapologetically in their power, find their true voices, and step into visibility with confidence. Through her workshops, coaching, and acting-based exercises, she teaches women how to stop people-pleasing, start trusting themselves, and lead their lives and businesses with sovereignty and joy. Her work combines practical tools with deep emotional and spiritual transformation, showing women that they can choose differently, rewrite their story, and create success that feels aligned — one small, powerful step at a time.
5-Week Series: Empowerment through Self-Defense (Tuesdays)
Each session in this 5-week series (10 total hours of training), we’ll deeply explore one of the five safety action principles of Empowerment Self-Defense: Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell. In addition to physical techniques (including strikes, kicks, and releases from grabs and pins), we’ll work on situational awareness, recognizing the warning signs of violence, and personal boundary setting and enforcement.
Open to all people ages 12+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and bringing a water bottle.
Sessions run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm each week.
Tuesday, February 17: THINK — Awareness, Intuition, and Attitude
Tuesday, February 24: YELL — Language, Tone, and Posture
Tuesday, March 3: RUN — Assessing Risk and Escaping from Danger
Tuesday, March 10: FIGHT — Physical Techniques for Self-Defense
Tuesday, March 17: TELL — Getting Help for Yourself or Others Who’ve Experienced Violence
Our ESD Series registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $75 (Reduced), $150 (Standard), or $200 (Supporter) based on your budget.
Due to our small class sizes, you must pre-register to reserve your spot. If the registration fee is a barrier to your attendance, please email us.
Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
Miami University: Campus Ready
In honor of campus safety month, this workshop—sponsored by the Miami University Police Department and the MU Office of Student Wellness—is being offered at no cost to all Miami University students, faculty, staff, and the Oxford community.
Participants will gain a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. Together, we’ll learn and practice:
Understanding the science behind our intuition
Using our posture and voice to protect our boundaries
Recognizing and responding to red-flag behaviors
Escaping from grabs and holds
Simple physical strikes anyone can use
On-campus location is Room 3056 A on the 3rd floor of the Armstrong Student Center. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Thrive 5K Community Run/Walk
The Thrive 5K is a community-focused event aimed at raising awareness for domestic violence in Northern Kentucky. On October 4, 2025, we will come together in the spirit of promoting healthy relationships and ending domestic abuse.
Participants can expect a fun-filled morning of walking, running, and cheering on others as they complete the 5K course through Devou Park. With each step, runners and walkers will be making a statement in support of those affected by domestic violence, showing that the community stands with them and is committed to creating a safer, healthier future for all.
In addition to the race, the event will feature a resource fair to learn more about the impact of domestic violence and ways to prevent it. There will also be opportunities to connect with local organizations working to support survivors and end the cycle of abuse.
The Thrive 5K is an important step in raising awareness for domestic violence and fostering a community committed to supporting survivors and preventing abuse. Join us on October 4, 2025, to take part in this powerful event.
Registration opens August 1.
Thank you to our 2025 sponsors, Tri-State Running Company, D.E. Klein, Connect Counseling, Intuitive Movement, Radically Genuine Counseling, Rendigs, and Reminger!
Interested in sponsoring the event? Contact MeghanK@thriveselfdefense.com for info.
The Somatics of Anger: A 6-Week Trauma-Informed Series
"Anger has a bad rap, but it is actually one of the most hopeful and forward thinking of all our emotions." —Soraya Chemaly, Rage Becomes Her
Do you feel stuck when it comes to anger? Unsure of how to process it, feeling overwhelmed by it, wanting to avoid or deny it? Maybe it leaks out through passive aggressiveness or you have moments of explosion after holding it in for so long. Maybe you feel like you often need to “manage” your anger, but it might feel exhausting and confusing. Maybe you have some fears of what might come from you expressing anger.
For those of us socialized as women especially, our relationship with anger can get distorted for many reasons. In this 6-week series, we will holistically explore anger through the lens of somatics—through our bodies, thoughts, patterns, emotion processing, nervous system, and spirit. We will experientially learn ways to support our nervous system in having access to regulation and presence, as well as relationship with our fight response, supporting the capacity and flow of greater life force energy in and through us.
Week 1: Nervous System, Somatics, and Resourcing for Anger Work
Week 2: Identity and Our Patterns of Anger
Week 3: Easing into the Felt-Sense of Anger
Week 4: Expanding Our Experience of Anger
Week 5: Exploring Anger in Relationship & Saying No
Week 6: Play, Aliveness, and Saying Yes
Through a trauma-informed approach, we will move slowly and supportively to encourage sustainable, embodied healing and transformation in your relationship with anger. There will be education and teachings, journal reflection prompts, individual somatic experiences and practices, partnered sharing, group discussion, and weekly handouts with additional exercises and resources.
The intention of this class is to support you in practicing a new way of feeling, processing, and expressing anger and showing up with more clarity and power in your life.
This series will be facilitated by Meagan Connley, Trauma-Informed Integrative Somatic Practitioner, Enneagram Facilitator, Yin Yoga Teacher, and Founder of Presence With Love. You can learn more about her and her work at presencewithlove.com
Open to all women and nonbinary folks. This workshop registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $150 (Reduced), $200 (Standard), or $250 (Supporter) based on your budget.
Empowering Grant County: 5-Week Self-Defense Series
Each session in this 5-week series (10 total hours of training), we’ll deeply explore one of the five safety action principles of Empowerment Self-Defense: Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell. In addition to physical techniques (including strikes, kicks, and releases from grabs and pins), we’ll work on situational awareness, recognizing the warning signs of violence, and personal boundary setting and enforcement.
Open to all people ages 12+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and bringing a water bottle.
Sessions run from 11 am to 1 pm each Saturday.
Saturday, July 26: THINK — Awareness, Intuition, and Attitude
Saturday, August 2: YELL — Language, Tone, and Posture
Saturday, August 9: RUN — Assessing Risk and Escaping from Danger
Saturday, August 16: FIGHT — Physical Techniques for Self-Defense
Saturday, August 23: TELL — Getting Help for Yourself or Others Who’ve Experienced Violence
This program is offered at no cost to participants through a grant secured by our partners at The ION Center for Violence Prevention.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register to reserve your spot.
Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
Movement Arts OPEN HOUSE
If you’ve ever wanted to try a therapeutic movement art at Thrive, now is your chance!
For one afternoon only, we’re throwing open the doors of The Annex and welcoming everyone in for free mini classes. Come and and meet the owners, chat with the instructors, move your body for joy, and pick up some cool swag. If after you sample a class you decide you’d like to continue to participate, any multi-class punch card or first-month’s membership you buy that day will be 50% OFF.
Open House Class Schedule
1:15 to 2 pm Muay Thai Boxing with Lauren & Lindsey
2:15 to 3 pm Nia with Trish
3:15 to 4 pm Workout and Meditation with Links & Zariah
4:15 to 5 pm Yin Yoga with Afton
5:15 to 6 pm Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Lauren & Lindsey
We can’t wait to meet you on the mat!
Empowering Gallatin County: 5-Week Self-Defense Series
Each session in this 5-week series (10 total hours of training), we’ll deeply explore one of the five safety action principles of Empowerment Self-Defense: Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell. In addition to physical techniques (including strikes, kicks, and releases from grabs and pins), we’ll work on situational awareness, recognizing the warning signs of violence, and personal boundary setting and enforcement.
Open to all people ages 12+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and bringing a water bottle.
Sessions run from 10 am to 12 pm each Saturday morning in May.
Saturday, May 3: THINK — Awareness, Intuition, and Attitude
Saturday, May 10: YELL — Language, Tone, and Posture
Saturday, May 17: RUN — Assessing Risk and Escaping from Danger
Saturday, May 24: FIGHT — Physical Techniques for Self-Defense
Saturday, May 31: TELL — Getting Help for Yourself or Others Who’ve Experienced Violence
This program is offered at no cost to participants through a grant secured by our partners at The ION Center for Violence Prevention.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register to reserve your spot.
The Somatics of Anger: A Trauma-Informed Series
"Anger has a bad rap, but it is actually one of the most hopeful and forward thinking of all our emotions." —Soraya Chemaly, Rage Becomes Her
Do you feel stuck when it comes to anger? Unsure of how to process it, feeling overwhelmed by it, wanting to avoid or deny it? Or maybe you have a pattern of turning toward anger as a way of avoiding other feelings like grief or fear.
For those of us socialized as women, especially, our relationship with anger can get distorted. In this 3-week series, we will holistically explore anger through the lens of somatics - through our bodies, thoughts, patterns, emotion processing, nervous system, and spirit.
Week 1: Identity, Nervous System, and Teachings of Anger
Week 2: Easing into the Felt Sense of Anger
Week 3: Expanding the Expression of Anger
Through a trauma-informed approach, we will move slowly and supportively to encourage embodied healing and transformation in your relationship with anger.
This series will be facilitated by Meagan Connley, Trauma-Informed Integrative Somatic Practitioner, Enneagram Facilitator, Yin Yoga Teacher, and Founder of Presence With Love. You can learn more about her and her work at presencewithlove.com
Open to all women and nonbinary folks. This workshop registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $75 (Reduced), $105 (Standard), or $135 (Supporter) based on your budget.
This group is now full. Click the button below to join the waitlist and be the first to be notified about the next session.
Stronger Together
Make safety, strength, and empowerment a family affair in this parent-child workshop.
Open to those 9+ years of age and their mothers (or other female guardians), this 3-hour class not only teaches the safety action principles of Empowerment Self-Defense (Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell), it fosters teamwork and open communication between parent and child.
In addition to verbal defense techniques, we’ll practice escapes and strikes. Wear comfortable clothes!
Our Stronger Together registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $75 (Reduced), $100 (Standard), or $125 (Supporter) per pair based on your budget. Register additional children for $25 each.
Space is limited so you must pre-register to reserve your spot.
Miami University: Campus Ready
In honor of sexual assault awareness month, this workshop—sponsored by the Miami University Police Department and the MU Office of Student Wellness—is being offered at no cost to all Miami University students, faculty, staff, and the Oxford community.
Participants will gain a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. Together, we’ll learn and practice:
Understanding the science behind our intuition
Using our posture and voice to protect our boundaries
Recognizing and responding to red-flag behaviors
Escaping from grabs and holds
Simple physical strikes anyone can use
On-campus location is Room 2084 in the Armstrong Student Center. Pre-registration is encouraged.
5-Week Online Series: Hear My Voice (Tuesdays)
One of the most powerful self-defense tools we have is our voice, yet it’s also the one many women find most difficult to use. In this 5-week online series, we will discuss and practice:
Week 1: Seeing and trusting ourselves
Week 2: Exploring how the words we use (both to ourselves and to others) impact our ability to take up space in the world
Week 3: Setting boundaries
Week 4: Designing a realistic self-care plan to support our well-being and resilience
Week 5: Owning our own stories and writing the next chapter(s)
All ESD workshop registration fees operate on a sliding scale. Choose $35 (Reduced), $50 (Standard), or $75 (Supporter) based on your budget.
Homegrown Alliance: Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Thrive Empowerment Center is partnering with Homegrown Alliance to offer this special ESD workshop at the Morrow Arts Center. The mission of Homegrown Alliance is to empower every child in the Little Miami School District by fostering a supportive & inclusive community. The organization is dedicated to uplifting marginalized & in-need students, ensuring they have the resources & opportunities to thrive.
In support of this mission, a portion of the ticket sales for this event will go toward offering the same course for LGTBQ+ youth in Little Miami.
This foundational Empowerment Self-Defense course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
Galentine's: An Evening of Celebration & Movement
Whether it’s your bestie, your sister, your mother, your daughter, or simply yourself, February 13 is the day to celebrate all that is beautiful and powerful in the feminine. Join us for an evening full of joy, empowerment, yummy treats, and pretty little surprises:
6 to 7 pm: Nia with Trish
A powerful fusion of dance, martial arts, and mindfulness practices, Nia is a holistic movement and wellness practice addressing each aspect of your life—body, mind, and spirit. Tonight’s routine will focus on sisterhood, unity, and finding the groove that’s in you.
7:05 to 7:15 pm: Bracelet Meditation with Zariah
Zariah offers a symbolic gift and a meditation to carry you into your next practice.
7:15 to 8:15 pm: Yin Yoga with Afton
In addition to her regular yin yoga offering—which is a slow, meditative practice that targets deep connective tissues through long-held poses—Afton will incorporate kundalini mantras and a heart-opening session.
8:15 to 8:30 pm: Closing Meditation with Zariah
To close out our evening together, Zariah will lead a final mindfulness activity to support the love, appreciation, and connection you hold for yourself and the wonderful gals in your village.
~SOLD OUT~
Your Year With You: Self-Love Edition
In February, join us for the Self-Love Edition of the Your Year With You series, facilitated by strength trainer Jessica “Links” Knochelmann and wellness coach Zariah Swartz.
Each week in this three-week series, we will focus on enhancing the relationship you have with yourself through 40 minutes of physical empowerment activities and 20 minutes of mental empowerment activities, with an emphasis on self-love. The relationship you have with yourself is a lifelong journey in which you are constantly presented with the opportunity to evolve and fortify your self-bond.
Self-love empowers you to respect and value your mind and body by
consistently showing up for yourself,
learning to replace that harsh inner critic with a new compassionate and supportive voice, and
asserting through your own thoughts and actions that you matter.
As with last month’s “New Year With You” series, bodyweight-focused strength exercise is a key component of this program; prioritizing movement and health is an important aspect of self-care, as our bodies do so much for us each day. Self-love is also composed of self-discovery and mindfulness activities in which you enhance the relationship you have with yourself. Become your own best friend and the love of your life.
All abilities and skill levels welcome; no equipment needed. Bring a journal if you have one you prefer to use; otherwise one will be provided.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this series. Our registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $60, $90, or $120 based on your budget.
5-Week Series: Empowerment through Self-Defense (Tuesdays)
Each session in this 5-week series (10 total hours of training), we’ll deeply explore one of the five safety action principles of Empowerment Self-Defense: Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell. In addition to physical techniques (including strikes, kicks, and releases from grabs and pins), we’ll work on situational awareness, recognizing the warning signs of violence, and personal boundary setting and enforcement.
Open to all people ages 12+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and bringing a water bottle.
Sessions run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm each week.
Tuesday, February 4: THINK — Awareness, Intuition, and Attitude
Tuesday, February 11: YELL — Language, Tone, and Posture
Tuesday, February 18: RUN — Assessing Risk and Escaping from Danger
Tuesday, February 25: FIGHT — Physical Techniques for Self-Defense
Tuesday, March 4: TELL — Getting Help for Yourself or Others Who’ve Experienced Violence
Our ESD Series registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $75 (Reduced), $150 (Standard), or $200 (Supporter) based on your budget. Registration includes Thrive T-shirt.
Due to our small class sizes, you must pre-register to reserve your spot. If the registration fee is a barrier to your attendance, please email us.
New Year WITH You
4-Week Strength & Mindfulness Workshop
It’s time to forget the notion of “New Year, New You” and embrace the relationship you build with yourself that will keep you moving toward your goals long after motivation wanes and January resolutions are abandoned.
Two gal pals—one personal trainer (Links, pictured right) and one life coach (Zariah, pictured left)—will lead this series designed to strengthen your body and the relationship you have with yourself.
Part of thriving evolves from owning both your physical and mental strengths. Each hour-long session in the series combines two goals:
Increasing your physical strength and endurance through movement. You’ll use 40 minutes each session to move your body in ways that are both playful and powerful.
Increasing your mental strength and endurance through reflection and goal-setting. You’ll take 20 minutes each session for journaling, guided activities, and discussion to help (re)discover who you are, what you want, what you seek, and what you’ll accept.
January session is closed. Join us for the February group starting 2/10.
Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
This class is full. Check out our 5-Week Empowerment through Self-Defense series starting Feb. 4 or our next ESD Basics class on March 29.
DBT Skills Workshop
In this one-hour Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills workshop, you will learn:
How our brain works
Why we become emotionally activated, or “triggered”
What happens in our body and mind when we become triggered
Skills to help yourself tolerate distress, calm yourself down, and stay grounded
Just in time for the holidays! :-)
In addition to coaching our Muay Thai classes, Maria Mangione is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
This workshop is being offered at no cost to you, but we will be accepting donations for Penrose House, an emergency domestic violence shelter for mothers and children. Needed supplies include: all hygiene products (soap, shampoo, hair brushes, tooth brushes, toothpaste, tampons), disinfectant wipes, cleaning products, blankets, stuffed animals or small toys, gift cards.
Email Lauren to reserve your spot.
Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
This class is full. Join us Saturday, January 4, for the next workshop!
Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
This class is full. Join us Saturday, January 4, for the next workshop!
Weaving Strength NKY: National Women's Martial Arts Federation Midwest Conference
Thrive is hosting the 2024 National Women’s Martial Arts Federation Midwest Regional Conference. The event is open to all women and LGBTQ+ folks (both members and nonmembers of the NWMAF) ages 12+ and features workshops in martial arts, healing arts, and Empowerment Self-Defense.
Saturday, November 16
8 to 8:30 am Sign-In
8:30 to 9 am Opening and Community Agreements
9:15 to 10:30 am Session 1: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
10:45 am to 12 noon Session 2: Intro to Kali/Silat
12 to 1:00 pm LUNCH
1:15 to 2:30 pm Session 3: Muay Thai Kickboxing
2:45 to 4 pm Session 4: Nia Dance
4:15 to 5:30 pm Session 5: Empowerment Self-Defense
Sunday, November 17
8 to 8:30 Morning Social
8:45 to 9:45 am Restorative Yoga
10 to 10:30 am Closing Ceremony
Instructor Bios
Devon Dean is a purple belt under Chris Howe (Jack McVicker/Megaton Dias) who has trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu for close to a decade. Coming to us from Indianapolis, she is also a master's athlete, retired roller derby player, and runner. Towering at 5'1", she proudly calls herself "small, but mighty."
Maria Mangione holds a black sash in Muay Thai and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and trains out of Club MMA in Cincinnati. A licensed DBT and EMDR therapist, she is also the head coach of the Storm Team Striking program at Thrive Empowerment Center.
Ashlyn Johnson is a nurse practitioner, assistant professor of nursing at Miami University in Ohio, and longtime martial artist. She has over 15 years of experience in the nursing field and maintains active clinical practice as a dual certified family and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner working with many patients suffering from PTSD. Her research interests include mental health, particularly related to trauma and resilience. Additionally, Ashlyn has been studying various martial arts systems for the past 25+ years, with a current focus on Kali and Silat. She wishes to express gratitude to her instructors including Guro Jeremiah Lovejoy and for the opportunity to be an apprentice under the esteemed Guro Dan Inosanto.
Erin DeSantis is a registered trauma conscious yoga instructor, a reiki master teacher trainer, and a meditation guide. She is also the Health & Wellness Librarian for the Kenton County (KY) Public Library.
Trish Riley is a certified black belt Nia instructor, with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She teaches regular Nia classes at both the Kula Center for Movement Arts in Newport, KY, and Thrive Empowerment Center in Covington, KY, as well as classes for special populations, including individuals with developmental disabilities and cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.
Lindsey Falcon is a multiple martial artist with a black belt in taekwondo from the World Taekwondo Federation and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Her ESD instruction has been certified through both the National Women's Martial Arts Federation and ESD Global. She is a co-founder of Thrive Empowerment Center and a certified sex coach and sex educator.
Register through the NWMAF website.
5-Week Online Series: Hear My Voice (Tuesdays)
One of the most powerful self-defense tools we have is our voice, yet it’s also the one many women find most difficult to use. In this 5-week online series, we will discuss and practice:
Week 1: Seeing and Trusting Ourselves
Week 2: Exploring how the words we use (both to ourselves and to others) impact our ability to take up space in the world
Week 3: Setting boundaries (just in time for the holidays! ;-] )
Week 4: Owning our own stories and writing the next chapter(s)
Week 5: Designing a realistic self-care plan to support our well-being and resilience
All ESD workshop registration fees operate on a sliding scale. Choose $35 (Reduced), $50 (Standard), or $75 (Supporter) based on your budget.
Art of Empowerment: Pocket Shrines
Explore the healing use of focusing and ritual in this creative workshop. Spend time constructing a mini shrine, the perfect size for traveling with you anywhere.
In this special time of year when many traditions remember those who are no longer with us in bodily form, we will spend some time talking about grief and loss and how shrines help individuals and communities to walk alongside these powerful emotions.
Whether you want to remember a loved one, honor a special saint, or pay homage to inspirational idea like love or justice, art therapist Charlotte Reed will lead you through the creation of your pocket shrine. Bring a metal candy tin, like an Altoid’s box, and she’ll show you some tricks for turning it into a pocket-sized space for memories. Supplies will be provided, but we encourage you to bring copies of photos or other mementos to include in your special space.
All supplies and instructions will be provided in this three-hour workshop. Registration operates on a sliding scale: choose $25, $45, or $65 based on your budget. Space is limited so pre-registration is required.
Art Equals seeks to provide inclusive and accessible spaces for community creating, so please contact Charlotte if there is a way we can make the workshop more comfortable for you.
Thrive 5K Community Run/Walk
The Thrive 5K is a community-focused event aimed at raising awareness for domestic violence in Northern Kentucky. On October 5, 2024, we will come together in the spirit of promoting healthy relationships and ending domestic abuse.
Participants can expect a fun-filled morning of walking, running, and cheering on others as they complete the 5K course through Devou Park. With each step, runners and walkers will be making a statement in support of those affected by domestic violence, showing that the community stands with them and is committed to creating a safer, healthier future for all.
In addition to the race, the event will feature a resource fair to learn more about the impact of domestic violence and ways to prevent it. There will also be opportunities to connect with local organizations working to support survivors and end the cycle of abuse.
The Thrive 5K is an important step in raising awareness for domestic violence and fostering a community committed to supporting survivors and preventing abuse. Join us on October 5, 2024, to take part in this powerful event.
Registration IS NOW OPEN!
A huge thank-you to our 2024 race sponsors: D.E. Klein, StretchLab, Connect Counselors LLC, Rendigs, Reminger, and TriState Running Company!
Interested in sponsoring the event? Contact MeghanK@thriveselfdefense.com for info.
Miami University: Campus Ready
In honor of campus safety month, this workshop—sponsored by the Miami University Police Department and the MU Office of Student Wellness—is being offered at no cost to all Miami University students, faculty, staff, and the Oxford community.
Participants will gain a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. Together, we’ll learn and practice:
Understanding the science behind our intuition
Using our posture and voice to protect our boundaries
Recognizing and responding to red-flag behaviors
Escaping from grabs and holds
Simple physical strikes anyone can use
On-campus location is Rec Sports Center, Courts 2 & 3. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Empowerment Self-Defense Basics
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In this 3-hour workshop, we will practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice. Join us for this fun and dynamic event!
We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. Light snacks will be provided.
Open to all, ages 10+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Due to space limitations, you must pre-register for this event. Our ESD Basics registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $35, $50, or $65 based on your budget.
*3 Spots Left*
Campus Ready
Designed for students heading off to college in the fall or already in college, our 3-hour workshop prepares them to enter the next chapter of their lives safely and more confidently.
Through hands-on activities, role play, the presentation of real-world scenarios (such as dating violence, parties, and harassment both online and on the street), and the practice of verbal and physical techniques, we’ll learn how to:
recognize and assess danger
assert boundaries and de-escalate tense situations
escape grabs and holds
use our body’s 10 tools to fend off a physical attack
find help and support for ourselves and others who’ve experienced harassment or violence
Open to all 15 to 21 years old.
The cost of the session is $50. Please reach out to us if this fee is a barrier to you.
Space is limited so you must pre-register to reserve your spot.
There are 4 spots left.
5-Week Series: Empowerment through Self-Defense (Tuesdays)
Each session in this 5-week series (10 total hours of training), we’ll deeply explore one of the five safety action principles of Empowerment Self-Defense: Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell. In addition to physical techniques (including strikes, kicks, and releases from grabs and pins), we’ll work on situational awareness, recognizing the warning signs of violence, and personal boundary setting and enforcement.
Open to all people ages 12+. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and bringing a water bottle.
Sessions run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm each week.
Tuesday, June 25: THINK — Awareness, Intuition, and Attitude
Tuesday, July 2: YELL — Language, Tone, and Posture
Tuesday, July 9: RUN — Assessing Risk and Escaping from Danger
Tuesday, July 16: FIGHT — Physical Techniques for Self-Defense
Tuesday, July 23: TELL — Getting Help for Yourself or Others Who’ve Experienced Violence
Our ESD Series registration fee operates on a sliding scale. Choose $75 (Reduced), $150 (Standard), or $200 (Supporter) based on your budget. Registration includes Thrive T-shirt.
Due to our small class sizes, you must pre-register to reserve your spot. If the registration fee is a barrier to your attendance, please email us.